Is It Time To Add A Baby?

Jennifer is ready to have a baby. Her husband wants to wait to start the family. Dave doesn't advise waiting to start their family if they're ready.

QUESTION: Jennifer in Atlanta and her husband are debt-free except for their house. They have their emergency fund partially completed, they’re about to move out of state, and Jennifer is ready to have a baby. Her husband wants to wait to start the family. Dave doesn’t advise waiting to start their family if they’re ready.

ANSWER: With rare exceptions, I typically tell people to not plan their family around money. I don’t say you have to have an emergency fund and be out of debt before you have kids. I would never say something like that. You’re supposed to have babies when you’re supposed to have babies. I’m good with that. The rare exceptions are the extremes, so if you have absolutely no job, no money, no nothing and you want to go have a baby, that would be irresponsible. This idea that everything has to be all lined up before you have kids…as soon as you have kids, it’s not going to be lined up anymore. Your husband is getting ready to learn a whole new thing when he’s a father. Everything planned is over.

I want you to be responsible. I think he’s being a little bit overkill, and I think maybe you’re jumping in a little bit too soon. You’ve got a lot of variables. I’d like to pull at least one of those variables out of the way. I really don’t want to have no job, be moving, and not have enough money when you’re pregnant. That scares me. But for everything to be perfect before you have babies? Good luck. You’d never have babies.

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